Pokies: 30% of Australians admit to playing them at least once a year, meaning they’re now a huge part of Australian society. Their simplicity is part of their allure – a complete newcomer has just as much chance of scooping the jackpot as a grizzled veteran playing pokies since they first became popular in the 1950s.
Nowadays, you’ll find hundreds of thousands of pokies in Australia, across all states except Western Australia. They vary wildly from one to another, plus it’s also now possible to play thousands of pokies online at the many offshore casinos accepting Aussie players. If you want to play a pokie in Australia, finding one will take just seconds.
Pokies had to start somewhere, and that’s what we’ll look at on this page. We’ll let you know about the introduction of pokies in Australia and what these first pokies were like. We’ll also touch on the impact of pokies on society and whether they have been controversial.
Table of Contents
The Introduction of Pokies in Australia
The introduction of pokies into Australia happened in the early 1900s, just after an American called Charles Fey invented the Liberty Bell – the first slot that looked and felt like the slots we see today. Before these slots, gambling was limited mainly to sports betting and informal games, some of which skirted legality.
But pokies didn’t become hugely popular in Australia until the 1950s, when an Australian company called Aristocrat, led by Len Ainsworth, produced the Clubman slot machine. Slot machines were also first regulated in the 1950s, when laws surrounding them were passed in New South Wales, which is still the centre of the pokie world in Australia, housing nearly half the nation’s machines.
The First Pokies in Australia
As already mentioned, the first-ever pokie machine was the Liberty Bell, an American machine invented in 1894. Similar machines had previously been available, but they lacked one important feature: the ability to pay prizes to players automatically. The Liberty Bell overcame this problem and thus became the first modern pokie.
Before long, the Liberty Bell became incredibly popular and was exported worldwide, including to Australia. But the real popularity of pokies in Australia began in 1953, when Aristocrat designed and manufactured the Clubman. This was also basic by today’s standards but far more advanced than the Liberty Bell.
The Clubman was designed at the perfect time. It was initially popular in Tasmania but really took off in 1956, when New South Wales became the first state to legalise and regulate pokies. Aristocrat took advantage of this popularity by developing their second slot, the Clubmaster, which became widespread nationwide.
But what were these pokies from the 1950s like? They were undoubtedly rudimentary machines without the fancy features you’ll find today. Instead, you paid some money, pulled a lever, and the mechanics inside would cause the reels to spin. Get a winning combination, and you’d automatically win a cash prize. Fail to scoop a prize, and you’d simply pull the lever again.
These machines were popular as they offered something new – in the 1950s, they were incredibly technologically advanced, and thus people wanted to experience them. Moreover, players loved the chance to win money, even if the payouts weren’t anything like those found nowadays. Legalisation in NSW also encouraged people to play, as it meant they had more trust in the new devices.
The Impact of Pokies on Australian Society
Before long, pokies had become an Australian institution in casinos and pubs across the land. When they legalised pokies, the NSW government estimated they’d earn £75,000 annually. That figure has risen to $2.25 billion, accounting for over 5% of the state’s income from tax.
While pokies were great for the government financially, the social impact wasn’t always as good. Many people gained employment thanks to pokies, but many others found themselves with gambling problems brought about by the easy access to pokies. Nowadays, 0.5-1% of Australian adults have gambling problems, and over 2% are at moderate risk of gambling addiction.
Pokies weren’t on the political agenda for many years, but this has now changed. Most Australians support reform of the pokies industry, leading politicians to step up and face the problem. In NSW, plans are in place to make all pokies cashless by 2028, so it’s easier to monitor losses, while in Tasmania, players will also only be able to play using a card, plus they’ll need to set loss limits before they can play.
Controversies Surrounding Pokies
All major controversies surrounding pokies in Australia have centred on addiction and the impact of pokies on communities. With so many people at risk from pokies, many in the country feel the time is right to get a grip on the problem and further regulate the industry. This has led to huge pressure on many leaders to act.
At the same time, grassroots campaigns are springing up to prevent new venues with pokies from opening in neighbourhoods. People now understand the link between gambling addiction and easy access to pokies, so they don’t want pokies in their communities. Of course, they face tremendous opposition, as Australia’s gambling industry is strong, holding plenty of influence.
As seen, politicians are starting to do something to combat the negative impacts of pokies, but many believe there’s still much more they need to do.
Conclusion
Pokies are popular in many countries, but Australia has taken to them more than anywhere. The industry became a major one in the 1950s and has only grown since then and is nowadays a significant contributor to state finances. Unfortunately, this popularity has translated into an addiction crisis in the country, with governments only recently beginning to take action to curb the problems.
Pokies aren’t going to become unpopular in Australia – they’re already too intertwined with Aussie culture. But the hope is that levels of addiction can be lowered through good governance by politicians, even if this could lead to a significant drop in income from the taxation of pokies.
